Anglos top Euro MTV noms

LONDON — American and British acts have dominated the nominee categories for the 1997 MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Europe announced Wednesday.

Up for three awards each at the show — to be broadcast from Rotterdam’s Ahoy Stadium on Nov. 6 — are Michael Jackson, Prodigy, Puff Daddy, Radiohead and Spice Girls. Included among Jackson’s noms is best male artist, while Prodigy, Radiohead and Spice Girls are contending for best group.

Among those with two noms are Beck, Toni Braxton, Oasis and U2, with Beck and Braxton vying in the best male and female categories, and Oasis and U2 filling out the best group category.

Besides the Irish U2, only the Icelandic Bjork, Sweden’s the Cardigans and France’s Daft Punk are not from the Amero-Brit camp.

MTVE said the nominations were a reflection of what was popular across Europe right now.

The selection of nominations was determined by an “academy” consisting of 400 music industryites and 400 MTVE viewers taken from a random sample. Viewers alone will decide the winners.

MTVE expects 1 billion viewers to watch the awards show live across the various MTV nets. Scheduled performers include U2 and Spice Girls.